Dental instrument.



No.739,333. VPATEN'TEYD 513F122; 19.03.

- W. J. MILES,-JB.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT. APPLIOATION mum FEB. 24- 1903.

R0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,333, datedSeptember 22, 1903.

Application filed February 24 1903; Serial No. 144,750. (No model.) I

7 To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J MILES, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Middletown, in theconnty of Butler and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Dental Instrument, of whichthefollowing is a specification. A

This invention relates to certain improve: ments in dental tools, andparticularly to that class of instruments employed in the extraction ofamalgam filling from the cavities of teeth. V In the removal of amalgamfillings as practiced at the present time it is necessary to cut thefilling by drilling and break the amalgam in pieces with suitableinstruments, small particles being afterward removed by means of apointed instrument. This operation is exceedingly painful and requiresconsiderable time, while the operation in many cases necessitates theremoval of a portion of the wall of the tooth.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for extractingthe filling without pain or injury to the patient and in much less timethan is required in the ordinary operation of disintegrating the fillingunder the present practice. The removal of the filling is generallynecessitated by an ulcerated condition of the root or irritation of thenerve, making the tooth sensitive, so that the employment ofchipping ordrilling tools causes much pain. In carrying the present invention intoefiect it is proposed to remove the filling by means of a heated tool,which when applied to the filling tends to allay the pain and at thesame time soften the filling to an extent sufficient to permit the readyremoval of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dentaltool constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the same, drawn to an exaggerated scale.

The tool 1 has a shank portion 2, threaded or otherwise constructed-forthe reception of a handle member 2, which may be formed of any suitablematerial. iron or metal of similar character which may be heated to atemperature of- 350 Fahrenheit, more or less, and at its outer endisprovided with two angularly-disposed points 3 The tool is formed of 1and 4, the point 3 being substantially conoidal in form and itscross-sectional area from the base of the coneto the outer end of theshank proper growing gradually lessin order'to form a comparativelylarge pointed block of metal of sufficient size to absorb and retainheat. The opposite tool member 4, which is disposed at an obtuse angleto the'conoid 3, is in the form of a thin blade having a comparativelysharp chisel-like point to be used as an extractor for the amalgam.portion of the shank is enlarged in order to strengthen the tool, sothat it may not readily bend when subjected to the action of heat.

In use theinstrument is placed over an alcohol-lamp or some equivalentheating means and heated to a temperature of 350 Fahrenheit, more orless, and the conoidal end of the tool is placed in contact with theamalgam, softening the filling and causing the mercury to rise to thesurface. In practice'it is found that the filling is soon soft enough topermit the use of the chisel-shapedtooM and remove the amalgam fillingwithout pain to the patient or injury to the wall of the tooth. Theapplication of heatin this manner will to some The intermediate extentallay the pain, and the operation may be accomplished in a fewseconds ascompared with a period of from thirty minutes to one hour consumed inthe removal of a filling by mechanical disintegration of thesame, the

operation in the present case tending to allay the pain, while inordinary practice the patient is subjected to severe pain fora'considerable period of time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- A dentalinstrument formed of a material capable of absorbingand retaining heat,said instrument having a shank portion enlarged at a point intermediateofits length and provided at its outer end with a' chisel-pointedextractingtool, and with a conoidal bulbshaped tool for softening anamalgam filling prior to the extraction of the same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in' the presence of two witnesses.

'- WILLIAM J. MILES, JR.

